By: Chris Andrews 

When Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville first landed on Dauphin Island in 1699, he came face to face with a sight that would unsettle even the bravest explorer. Scattered across the beach were piles of human skeletons and bleached bones resting in the sand, as if left behind by some gruesome event. Believing he had discovered the aftermath of a massacre, he named the island Massacre Island.

Later, historians concluded the bones likely came from a Native American burial mound that had been disturbed by a hurricane, but the name stuck, and left a certain shadow. From its very beginnings, Mobile carried with it the weight of haunting stories, restless spirits, and an air of mystery. That legacy is still alive today in the old graveyards, the antebellum mansions, the oak-shaded streets, and the whispers of yellow fever victims and jealous lovers. 

And for those of us who love food, history, and just a little fright, this has become one of the most memorable ways to experience the city: a haunted food tour with Bienville Bites Food Tour. 

Since 2018, these tours have been one of the most popular October experiences in Mobile. They blend incredible local cuisine with the eerie tales that have shaped our city’s past. It’s not a haunted house with jump scares, and it’s not just a history lesson. Instead, it’s a moving dinner party through the streets of downtown Mobile, with each stop serving a dish, a drink, and a story. 

Mobile is one of the oldest cities in the South, and age tends to leave behind all sorts of spirits. The haunted tours are built on that truth. As you walk with your guide, you’ll hear about Charles Boyington, the young printer who swore his innocence all the way to the gallows. He was buried near the site of today’s Church Street Graveyard, and when an oak tree sprouted from his grave, townspeople believed it to be proof that his spirit was speaking through the branches. 

Today, the Boyington Oak still stands, a gnarled and sprawling reminder of a man who would not let the truth die with him. Barton Academy, Alabama’s oldest public school, has its share of legends, too. While the children are busy studying, something lingers within  the walls; a presence felt in phantom footsteps and faint laughter. 

Then there’s the basement beneath Dauphin Street, once part of Campo Santo, Mobile’s first graveyard. The graves were moved long ago, but not all the spirits moved with them. Today, that underground site is part of the Lupercalia Art Society, and guests on our tours descend six feet below the bustling streets to step directly into the past. 

Each haunted landmark is paired with food that makes the experience richer and more memorable. Before visiting Cathedral Square, you’ll enjoy crawfish beignets at Penton’s Bistro. Walking through DeTonti Square, you’ll hear about haint blue porches and scandalous crimes of passion before digging into the delicious tacos from Front Yard Tacos or buttermilk biscuits from Ruby Slipper Cafe. Beneath the Boyington Oak, you’ll sip a cocktail named the “Blood Bag” from POST before deciding if you believe the tree itself holds the spirit of the man. 

With October’s arrival, Bienville Bites Food  Tour brings these stories to life through four different haunted food tours. Each one blends food, fun, and folklore in its own way.

Bites & Frights  

This is where it all began in 2018. This signature haunted food tour takes guests to five food stops and five haunted landmarks. It’s the perfect blend of Mobile’s culinary favorites and its eeriest legends. Crawfish beignets, gumbo dumplings, dry-rub wings, BBQ ribs, and a Buzzed Bull shake pair with visits to Barton Academy, Boyington Oak, and Lupercalia’s underground basement. It’s dinner, dessert, and goosebumps in one.

Boo Brunch  

For those who prefer their hauntings with a side of mimosas, Boo Brunch runs on Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. Guests enjoy biscuits, tacos, pastries, and a Spanish scramble while strolling through DeTonti Square, where some of Mobile’s most beautiful homes and eerie stories live. The “Crime of Passion” tale of love, jealousy, and violence colliding in the Battle House Hotel’s  5th floor comes alive in the daylight. The porches painted haint blue seem to watch as you sip your coffee, reminding you that even brunch has a haunted side.

Murder Under the Oaks  

The newest haunted tour, and already one of the most talked-about, is an interactive murder mystery woven into Mobile’s haunted history. Guests take on roles as suspects in a southern gothic whodunit, unfolding at Cathedral Square, the Church Street Graveyard, and the Boyington Oak. Along the way, you feast on smash burgers, wings, Conecuh sausage, and beignets. The optional cocktail package includes the infamous “Blood Bag” and a spooky spin on the Gulf Coast’s beloved Bushwacker. It’s part ghost tour, part game night, and part feast.

Trick or Trolley  

The finale, on October 30th, the night before Halloween, the Trick or Trolley tour takes to the streets of Mobile. Guests board a vintage trolley and ride through the city’s greatest haunted places, from Barton Academy to the Church Street Graveyard, while enjoying Mobile’s best bites and sips. Costumes are encouraged, laughter is guaranteed, and the spirits are always along for the ride. 

Food is generous on every tour, and the cocktails are creative. The stories are unforgettable. However, the secret to the haunted tours’ success is that they aren’t just entertainment; it’s a way to connect with Mobile itself. Guests often tell us that it’s the moment when they stand beneath the Boyington Oak, or when they walk into a dark basement that once held bodies, they suddenly feel history come alive. 

Food grounds the experience in comfort and pleasure, while the stories remind us of the fragility of life, the persistence of love and jealousy, and the way the past never really leaves us. Since 2018, hundreds of locals and visitors have joined us for these tours. Some come in costume, often for date nights, while others bring groups of friends or host office parties to ramp up the season. All leave with the same look: a mix of satisfaction, wonder, and maybe just a touch of fear. 

When d’Iberville named Dauphin Island Massacre Island after discovering piles of skeletons, he unknowingly set the tone for the centuries to follow. Mobile would grow into a city of beauty and culture, but also one where shadows linger, where whispers of the past drift down  through oak-lined streets, and where stories of restless spirits become part of the living community. 

That is what our haunted food tours celebrate. Not just the food, not just the scares, but the way those two combine to reveal the real Mobile: delicious, complicated, and forever a little haunted. So come hungry. Come curious. Come ready to be spooked. Because from the bones on Massacre Island to the branches of the Boyington Oak, Mobile’s history has always had one foot in the grave.